John Oliver leaving Comedy Central to host weekly comedy show on HBO

Hosting stint on 'The Daily Show' impressed HBO brass

John Oliver as summer guest host of "The Daily Show with… (Neilson Barnard / Getty…)

November 14, 2013|By David Zurawik | The Baltimore Sun

John Oliver, who was so impressive as guest host of "The Daily Show," is leaving Comedy Central for HBO where he will have his own weekly comedy series, the premium channel announced Thursday.

The show, which is scheduled to debut in 2014, will offer a satirical look at the week's events and air on Sunday nights -- the biggest night for HBO.

"We weren’t otherwise searching for another weekly talk show, but when we saw John Oliver handling host duties on 'The Daily Show,' we knew that his singular perspective and distinct voice belonged on HBO," Michael Lombardo, president of programming at HBO, said in a statement. "We are extremely excited that John has agreed to make HBO his home."

"I'm incredibly excited to be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now," Oliver said in the same release. "I want to thank Comedy Central, and everyone at 'The Daily Show' for the best seven and a half years of my life. But most of all, I’d like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it's entirely his fault."